Asking questions
The question words, the accents they carry, and how to ask without sounding blunt.
A1
- The 9 Spanish question words, with examples for each
Qué, cómo, cuándo, dónde, quién, cuál, cuánto, por qué and de quién — what each asks, why they all carry accents, and the qué versus cuál problem.
A2
- Qué or cuál? Why ¿Qué es tu nombre? is wrong
English what and which do not map onto qué and cuál. The split is definition against selection, and it decides one very common question.
- ¿No? ¿Cierto? ¿Ya? — how Peruvians check you agree
The little words tacked onto the end of a sentence to soften it or ask for agreement. What each one does in Lima, and which not to use yet.
B1
- Whose in Spanish: ¿de quién es? and cuyo
De quién asks who something belongs to. Cuyo joins two ideas and agrees with the thing owned — but almost nobody says cuyo out loud.